Flueric diode

ABSTRACT

A FLUERIC DIODE RESPONSIVE TO ELECTRONIC DIGITAL COMMAND WHEREIN THE POSITION OF A PISTON WITHIN A CYLINDER IS CONTROLLED. A FLUERIC INTERFACE SHIFTS FLUID FLOW AND BY ADDING OR SUBTRACTING DIGITAL INFORMATION THE FLOW RATE CAN BE INCREASED OR DECREASED THUS CHANGING THE RATE OF PISTION MOVEMENT.

Oct. 5, 1971 v D. P. ANKENEY 3,610,099

Fwmmc moms Filed June 50,, 1969 A DEWEY P. ANKENEY |2.' BY

ATTORNEYS United States Patent Offlce 3,610,099 Patented Oct. 5, 1971 3,610,099 FLUERIC DIODE Dewey P. Ankeney, China Lake, Calif., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed June 30, 1969, Ser. No. 837,530 Int. Cl. FlSb 13/04; F01b 25/02 US. Cl. 91-3 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A flueric diode responsive to electronic digital command wherein the position of a piston within a cylinder is controlled. A flueric interface shifts fluid flow and by adding or subtracting digital information the flow rate can be increased or decreased thus changing the rate of piston movement.

GOVERNMENT INTEREST The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION .order of a numbering system. By selectively applying pressure to each piston, various forces can be applied to an object via a common shaft on which all the pistons are attached. This type of arrangement is disadvantageous in that many pistons are required and it is only with great difliculty that additional bits of information may be added.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, a single piston is mounted on a shaft within a cylinder. Openings in the wall of the cylinder are proportional to a different order of a numbering system. Thus, by directingfluid flow through each opening the piston can be made to transmit force to a member to be moved proportional to the particular order desired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The figure is a schematic diagram of a fluid diode according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawing, the apparatus shown therein is responsive to fluid pressure and comprises a shaft 7 capable of movement in either direction having a piston 18 fixedly attached thereto and the piston and shaft placed within a cylinder 27. Openings 22 (22a, 22a, 22b, and 22b) in the wall of cylinder 27 are proportional in area to a different order of a numbering system. For example, openings 22a and 22b have an area corresponding to a first order digit, one, of the binary numbering system. Openings 22a and 22b have an area which is twice the area of openings 22a and 22b and corresponds to a second order digit, two.

While only four openings are shown, it is obvious that more orders may be represented by merely providing more openings having areas propotrional to these additional orders.

For a generalized case, to cause movement of piston 18 within cylinder 27 a source of fluid pressure, 12, is supplied. Valve means 10 operate to apply the fluid pressure through openings 22a to apply fluid pressure to one side of piston 18 to move shaft 17 in one direction; and to apply fluid pressure through openings 22b to move piston 18 in the opposite direction. Shaft 17 transmits the force on piston 18 to an object.

Flueric valve 10 operates as follows. When electromagnets 26a and 26b are not energized, one-half the diameter of the fluid exiting from nozzles 13a and 13b is intercepted by resilient leaf 11 and deflected into passageway 19. The remainder of the fluid exiting from nozzles 13a collides with the remainder exiting from nozzle 13b, each causing the other to be deflected into passageway 19. Thus all the fluid is directed down passageway 19. If electromagnet 26a is energized and not electromagnet 26b, leaf 11 is pulled towards nozzle 13a so that all of the diameter of fluid stream 13a is intercepted and none of the diameter of fluid stream 13b is intercepted. That is, fluid stream 13a is deflected by leaf 11, and fluid stream 13b is allowed to flow directly, into passageway 25a. Thus fluid flows only down passageway 25a. Similarly, if electromagnet 26b is energized and electromagnet 26a is not energized, resilient leaf 11 will intercept all of the fluid exiting from nozzle 13b and none of the fluid exiting from nozzle 13a. In this case all fluid will flow down passageway 25b. For a full explanation of how electro-flueric valves 10 and 10' operate see US. patent application No. 826,944 by Dewey P. Ankeney flied May 22, 1969.

Now, more specifically, in order to move piston 18 in a first direction in response to binary one, flueric valve 10 is placed in a neutral position. Electromagnets 26a and 26b have no power applied to them. Entering fluid 12 passes through nozzles 13a and 13b of flueric valve 10. Because leaf 11 is held in the center by the impinging fluid streams exiting from 13a and 13b, all fluid pressure 12 passes through passageways 19, 20a and 20b, 21a and 21b toapply equal pressure to each side of piston 18 via openings 22a and 22b. Fluid exits via passageways 24a and 24b to discharge passageways 14a and 14b.

Fluid pressure 12 drives piston 18 in the first direction through opening 22a. Fluid pressure 12' passes through valve 10 and is directed down passageway 25a only. Electromagnet 26a is energized thus drawing leaf 11' towards nozzle 13a. Therefore fluid 12 exiting from nozzles 13a and 13b flows down passageway 25a. through passageway 23a, 21a and 24a to enter opening 22a. Because of the construction of the intersection between passageways 21a and 20a fluid passing from 2311' and 21a will not enter passageway 20a. Fluid exits from the system via passageway 14b.

Similarly, to cause piston 18 to move in the opposite direction, electromagnet 26b is energized and electromagnet 26a is not energized. Fluid 12 is directed down passageway 25b to passageways 23b, 24b, and 21b" to apply fluid pressure to piston 18 via opening 22b. Thus piston 18 will move in the opposite direction at a speed corresponding to binary one.

Piston 18 can be made to move in the first direction at twice the speed corresponding to binary one, which is a speed corresponding to binary two. For this case electromagnets 26a and 26b' are not energized. Fluid 12' passes through passageway 19' to passageway 20a 21a and 21b to direct fluid pressure to openings 22a and 22b. Fluid exits via passageways 14a and 14b. Electromagnet 26a is energized so that fluid 12 passes via power nozzles 13a and 13b to flow down passageway 25a, 23a, 24a and 21a to direct fluid pressure via opening 22a to piston 18.

The piston can be made to move in the opposite direction at a speed corresponding to a binary two it electromagnet 26b is energized, thus pulling leaf 11 towards power nozzle 13b. Fluid now floWs down passageway 25b to passageways 23b, 24b, and 21b to apply fluid pressure through opening 22b to cause piston 18 to move in the opposite direction at a speed corresponding to binary two. Fluid exits via passageway 14a. The intersection between passageways 23 and are such that when fluid is flowing down passageway 23 no fluid will enter passageway 20.

Additional speeds of the piston may be obtained by causing electromagnets 26a and 26a to be energized simultaneously. This causes fluid pressure 12 and 12 to enter cylinder 27 through openings 22a and 22a thus causing piston 18 to move in the first direction at a speed three times that of binary one. Similarly, by energizing electromagnets 26b and 26b fluid pressure is directed at piston 18 via openings 22b and 22b thus moving piston 18 at three timesthe given speed in the opposite direction.

Additional control may be obtained by directing pressure through openings 22a and 22b to move piston 18 at the given speed in the first direction. Fluid pressure may also be applied through openings 22b and 22a to cause piston 18 to move in the opposite direction at the given speed.

If none of the electromagnets are energized, fluid enters cylinder 27 through openings 22a, 22a, 22b, and

22b and the piston is held stationary.

A plurality of mechanical stops 16 may be provided .on the inside wall of cylinder 27 to halt the travel of the piston in both directions.

What is claimed is:

1. A flueric device responsive to electronic binary digital commands comprising:

a cylinder having a plurality of openings with each opening having a predetermined area, wherein said areas are proportional to binary values;

a shaft within said cylinder;

a piston fixedly attached to said shaft, so that approximately one-half of said openings appear on one side of the piston; Y

a source of fluid pressure;

valve means operable in response to said binary digital commands for applying the fluid pressure through at least one of said openings to one side of the piston to move the piston in one direction, and for I applying fluid pressure through at least one'other of said openings to the other side of the piston to move the piston in the opposite direction comprising,

a first power nozzle for issuing a first fluid power stream; a second power nozzle for issuing a second fluid power stream; a plurality of outlet channels for receiving the first and second power streams; a resilient member disposed between the first and second power nozzles, so that said member intercepts approximately one- 4 half the diameter of the first and second power streams, and fluid exits via a first outlet channel; and means coupled to the resilient member for moving said member, so that when said member intercepts approximately the full diameter of the first power stream and does not intercept the second power stream,

fluid exits via a second outlet channel; and means for transmitting the force on said piston to an object. 2. The device as set forth in claim 1 and further including mechanical stops on the inside wall ofsaid cylinder to halt the travel of the piston in both directions.

3. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

there are four openings in' the wall of the cylinder;

two openings are twice the'area of the other two openlngs;

one larger and one smaller opening are disposed to one side of the piston;

when said valve means applies fluid pressure through the first of the smaller openings, the piston moves at a given speed in a first direction;

When said valve means applies fluid pressure through the first of the larger openings, the piston moves at twice said given speed in the first direction;

when said valve means applies fluid pressure through the second of the smaller openings, the piston moves at the given speed in the opposite direction;

when said valve means applies fluid pressure through the second of the larger openings, the piston moves at twice the given speed in the opposite direction;

when said valve means applies fluid pressure through the first of the larger and the first of the smaller openings, the piston moves at three times the given speed in the first direction;

when said valve means applies fluid pressure through the second of the larger and the second of the smaller openings, the piston moves at three times the given speed in the opposite direction;

when said valve means applies fluid pressure through the first of the larger and the second of the smaller openings, the piston moves at the given speed in the first direction;

when said valve means applies fluid pressure through the second of the larger and the first of the smaller openings, the piston moves at the given speed in the opposite direction; and

when said valve means applies fluid pressure through all of the openings, the piston is held stationary.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,776,817 9/1930 Mugler 137-83 3,270,508 9/1966 Smith et a1 60-5 X 3,390,611 7/1968 Warren 91-3 PAUL E. MASLOUSKY, Primary Examiner US, Cl. X-R. 

